The 15 Best Documentaries Of 2013

Does there seem to be more outstanding documentaries produced with each new year, or is my memory so unreliable that every December I feel even more astounded by the surplus of excellent non-fiction filmmaking from the past year? This may merely be a feeling, an illusion. It seems to occur every year. Still, along with the influx of award-worthy narrative features that get released in December and early January, many of the year’s best documentaries are finally available for most people to actually see.

This was a strong year for movies. I’ve thought that every year for the past decade or so. The fact that new ideas and stories are being told, or old ideas and stories are being presented in new and interesting ways, sometimes just makes a person marvel at the human mind, and its capacity for limitless creativity. What documentaries can offer is not only new ways of looking at ideas and stories, but an earnest quest for veracity and brand new information or perspectives that would not have entered our minds otherwise.

The documentary class of 2013 demonstrated a remarkable range from devastating looks at societal violence to the intimate inner workings of individual families. Here are 15 of the best documentaries that this year had to offer.